I will be buggered if i can cut the material straight enough for me to ne happy with it. Im currently using a hack saw is this the best way?

No a hacksaw is not the best way- a chop saw is far better! Mainly because it takes about 5 seconds per tube.
They're not that expensive.
Disadvantage is that a lot won't do more than 45°.
Another cheap electric way is to get a stand for your Angle grinder (from Screwfix about £20). It's worth getting some of the narrow stainless steel blades.

Or use a band saw- it'll do any angle and atleast the cut sides will be parallel to on another.

If you don't want to buy anything or use electric there's only one option:

Practice!!!

Sorry, but there is no other way.
Think of it this way: once you've cut half the tubes the second half will be a lot better!

If you're cutting complex angles then you can cut each 'face' of the tube separately much slower but may be more accurate. The LA and LB tubes are much easier done this way.

I did all my >45° tubes with a chop saw and then most of the rest by hand- until I discovered the band saw.

For tips on cutting:
1.go slowly and let the saw do the work
2. Don't go at it 'like a bull in a china shop' it'll cut better and be less knackering to be controlled.
3. Long slow strokes over the whole length of the blade
4. I also found that one handed was far better than two handed (cutting that is ).

Hth,

James

quote:

---

Another cheap electric way is to get a stand for your Angle grinder (from Screwfix about £20).

---

With care a hacksaw will give you a good straight cut... you just need to practice.

A good saw frame helps, together with the right kind of blade (bi-metal - a good mix of durability and cutting ability). Get the right number of teeth for the job - 32 per inch is good for 16swg/1.6mm wall tube.

As for technique, the best tip is 'don't force it!' - on the push forward allow the weight of the saw to do the work (don't push down too hard) and on the way back lift off a bit. Aim for about 1 cutting stroke per second.

Get good light on the work so that you can see the line you're supposed to be cutting along.

RELAX! Get into a rhythm and take your time.

A powered tool may be quicker, but if all you want to do is cut a bit of square tube then a hacksaw is probably quick enough. Some use an angle-grinder in a pivoted holder - but that is very noisy and throws grinding dust everywhere, and I value my lathes too much!

cheers,

David
(climbs off hobby horse, gets back to work)

quote:

---

Originally posted by David Jenkins
A powered tool may be quicker, but if all you want to do is cut a bit of square tube then a hacksaw is probably quick enough

---

I did most of my cutting with a cheapo steel framed hacksaw, had to straighten most ends with my grinder.
Then I bought a Stanley bright yellow plasticky hacksaw for £12-15 and the difference was amazing, no more "wandering" and it seemed to sail through the steel much easier...

My two-pennorth

quote:

---

Originally posted by James

If you don't want to buy anything or use electric there's only one option:

Practice!!!

Sorry, but there is no other way.

---

By far the best way I've found is a 4.5in grinder with .8mm stainless steel cutting blades. Like a knife through butter and very nice straight cuts by hand without a stand. I bought a stand and found it pretty useless as it flexes too much.

But for compound angles definitely cut each side by hand with a good quality hacksaw.

I started the chassis using a proper bandsaw, but the setup and actual cut time adds up fast... took a lot longer overall.

I recently tried the hacksaw and was quite pleased with the results. Now that most of the chassis is together, I use a scribe, hacksaw and grinder for nearly everything.

I offer the piece to the chassis, scribe the line I need, cut a little oversize with the hacksaw (no need to be straight) and then I grind to line up. The grinder is quickly becoming one of my favorite tools. No rulers or protractors needed at this point... just grind to fit.

I did use a compound miter saw with an abrasive chop blade for the compound angles however... slick as a pickle seed.

-Jim M.

Right at the beginning I bought a cheapo Ferm chop saw from Screwfix for 100 quid (Makita version about 250 quid I think). Wouldn't really recommend it. You can't use the angle guage cos it's useless - you have to mark up with a scriber and line it up with the cutting wheel by eye. Worse of all, the wheel tends to wander outwards when you're cutting and doesn't cut particularly square. Not a very useful tool - I only use it for quickly ripping up big lengths to make them more managable.

I'm now a hacksaw convert and do all my cutting, including compound angles with a nice stiff framed hacksaw. Quicker than setting up the chopsaw and as accurate as it needs to be. Need occasional fettling with the bench grinder - now that IS a useful tool.

liam

yep, agree with gist of all this...

I have bandsaw, borrowed chopsaw, yet still do a lot by hand.

Master the hacksaw, he is your friend
But get a good 'un with a decent blade.

aw you brits nothing beats th originl tool of automotive destruction/construction the milwalkee sawzall!!! I worked for wrecker for a couple months and that is all we used to cut quartpanels/roofs/front clips off cars got pretty good with it. just use a file to give a littel notch to start on and away you go. used it to do my fairlane air ride. I wish I had a newer one with a quick change setup. I would kill for a plasma cutter though.. those are bad ass


nick

Chop saw is definitely the way to go.
A lot of you keep mentioning that the chop saw may take longer once you have set it up but Ron Champion didn't write a book called Build a sports car in 250 hours.
Get a chop saw and take your time.
I would be lost without my chop saw (well my mates chop saw). You don't have to set the chop saw to the correct angle every time, I have been using a combination square to mark the angle on the steel and then aligning it with the cutting disc. I then wind the bottom jaw of the clamp in, so it just nips the steel in place (the bottom jaw of the clamp is on a pivot).
A lot of us builders won't be satisfied with building just one car so buying a chop saw maybe a good investment in the future.

Plus I am a lazy get who can't be bothered with all that hack sawing.

If I'm talking bollox please feel free to let me know.

Welshy





(I'm not Welsh I'm from Leeds)

Plasma cutters are awesome, sounds line a 1000A mig on steriods. Great for cutting sheet metal faster than you can move your hand but not good for cutting up cars or tubes. A good quality chop saw is best. Got a stayer from machine mart and found it pretty good. Uses cooling fluid though so you do have to spend some time cleaing the ends.

If you plan to build lots of different stuff it's worth buying the more expensive tools but if you're only making the one car then use the hacksaw.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Dunc
Plasma cutters are awesome, sounds line a 1000A mig on steriods. Great for cutting sheet metal faster than you can move your hand but not good for cutting up cars or tubes...........

---